Golf swing training apparatus

ABSTRACT

A golf swing training apparatus consisting of positioning, indicating and guidance means cooperable with a golf club for learning, practicing and performing essential components of a swing method based on a concept of a lower swing phase related predominantly to a vertical virtual axis around which the body rotates, an upper swing phase related predominantly to a horizontal virtual axis tied to the vertical virtual axis and around which the arms swing and a “wrist cocking plane” maintained in a fixed relationship to the forearms, said essential components being: appropriate gripping formation; configuration of the forearms wrists hands and club when the wrists are fully cocked within the “wrist cocking plane”, appropriate relationships of arms, wrists, hands and club to the lower body in the lower swing phase; and relationship of the club and ‘wrist cocking plane” to the shoulders at the end of the backswing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

PCT/AU2005/000979—Filed on Jul. 6, 2005

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not Applicable

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to golf swing instruction and training means and devices relating thereto.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are many combinations of various biomechanical actions capable of maneuvering a golf club for a successful strike on a golf ball providing that they are relevantly related to a viable underlying concept.

Generally, golf swing instruction has been based on obvious aspects of the techniques of elite golfers as elicited from direct observation, photographs, films, and videos and as interpreted from their own descriptive writings.

That process envisages the actions associated with those technique aspects as relating directly to an ideal universally applicable single “swing plane” concept based on the slanted plane of action of the golf club head and assumes therefore that those actions are selectively adaptable to any other technique.

Ground rules of instruction evolving out of those perceptions are flawed because it is not within the biomechanical capabilities of the human form to appropriately perform actions relating directly to the slanted “swing plane” which, for an elite golfer, is actually the result of the observed actions being performed, either consciously or accidentally, in the context of a non-observable underlying secondary concept adapted to accommodate the biomechanical limitations.

For that reason the many devices that have been provided in the past for practicing aspects of golf strokes in accordance with those principles of instruction, without reference to a biomechanically appropriate underlying concept, have had limited effectiveness in inducing worldwide improvement in ball striking capability among ordinary golfers.

Those shortcomings in the prior art are overcome in the present invention which provides means for instruction and training in the execution of a golf swing method based on a concept of there being a lower phase related predominantly to a vertical virtual axis about which the body rotates and which melds smoothly through transitions with an upper phase related predominantly to a horizontal virtual axis which is tied to the vertical virtual axis and about which the arms swing.

When a golfer adopts an appropriate stance for a golf stroke the vertical virtual axis rises from midway between the ankles passing through the front of the lower body and out of the upper body midway between the shoulder blades at which point the horizontal virtual axis is tied to the vertical virtual axis in the vicinity thereof.

The combined action of the body turning around the vertical virtual axis and the arms swinging around the horizontal virtual axis results in the slanted “swing plane”

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In this Brief Summary and in the following Descriptions;

-   the terms “leading” and “trailing” refer to the forward ball     striking action; -   the terms “golf club” or “club” refer to a real or representation of     a golf club and -   “wrist cocking plane” refers to a plane in a fixed relationship to     the forearms in which the club is rotated whilst cocking the wrists     and which is established at the ball address position by coincidence     with the vertical plane containing the club shaft which is right     angled to a line extending away from a golfing target through the     ball position. -   “vardon” refers to a universally recognized method for gripping a     golf club

The invention resides in interrelated positioning, indicating and guidance means adapted to be structurally and functionally co-operable with a golf club to provide for learning, practicing and performing any, some, or all of the essential aspects of the previously described golf swing method, those essential aspects being:

-   positioning and setting of the hands while gripping the club in a     “vardon” style formation in respect to the wrist cocking plane, -   cocked wrist configuration in respect to the forearms, -   alignment of the grip formation and consequently the club shaft at     the ball address and transition positions, -   relationships of the arms, wrists, hands, and club shaft in respect     to the vertical virtual axis by reference to the lower body in the     lower phase and the transitions, and -   configuration at the top of the backswing in respect to the vertical     virtual axis and the horizontal virtual axis by reference to the     extremity of the trailing shoulder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 a, 1 b, 1 c and 1 d illustrate, sequentially, the performance of the golf swing method in accordance with the previously described concept wherein the line of action of the golf club within a slanted “swing plane” derives from the combined actions relating to a vertical virtual axis about which the body rotates and to a horizontal virtual axis which is tied to the vertical virtual axis and about which the arms swing.

FIG. 2 is a typical embodiment of the invention arranged to suit right handed use.

FIG. 3 shows the associated gripping arrangement of the leading or first placed hand in respect to the typical embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows the completed “vardon” style gripping arrangement in respect to the typical embodiment with the second placed hand in place over the first placed thumb.

FIGS. 5 a, 5 b, 5 c and 5 d are sequential illustrations of the lower swing phase in overhead view of the relationship of the apparatus to the lower body and to a target line.

FIG. 6 illustrates the use of the typical embodiment.

FIG. 7 elaborates the configuration at the end of the backswing position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

To properly understand the basis of this invention a description of the method relating to the said concept is now provided with reference to FIGS. 1 a, 1 b, 1 c and 1 d of the drawings. FIG. 1 a illustrates that in the lower phase of the backswing the club is moved away from the ball address position 1 to a phase transition position 2 wherein the club shaft is disposed with the top end of the handle substantially in forward alignment with the outside of a user's trailing thigh 3 and substantially on a line 4 which includes the location of the top end of the club handle as it was at the ball address position and which is parallel to the ground and to the line 5 extending away from a golfing target through the ball location. This is achieved biomechanically by cocking the wrists vertically within the “wrist cocking plane” 6 accompanied by the body turning in unison with longitudinal rotation of the leading arm effectively around a vertical virtual axis 7. During this turning action the trailing elbow folds back to the side of the body while the grip setting of the hands on the club and the relationship between the “wrist cocking plane” and the leading arm are maintained as they were established at address.

FIG. 1 b illustrates that at the phase transition 2 the leading arm starts to carry the club upwards around a horizontal virtual axis 8 which is tied to the vertical virtual axis 7 in the vicinity of the upper torso. As the arms rise towards the top of the backswing position 9 the grip setting and the relationship between the “wrist cocking plane” and the leading forearm are maintained while the trailing arm continues to fold at the elbow. “The wrist cocking plane” 6 becomes slanted away from the vertical due to continuation of longitudinal rotation of the leading forearm. It is essential that the correct configuration is achieved at the top of the backswing 9

FIG. 1 c illustrates the upper phase of the downswing which is conceptually the reverse of the upper part of the backswing but different in the synchronisation of some of the movements due to biodynamic effects as muscular power is applied to acceleration of the club head and due to the effects of centrifugal forces developed therefrom. It is essential that those effects are controlled particularly in respect to maintenance of the grip setting and the relationship between the “wrist cocking plane” and the leading arm such that the configuration through the transition 10 from the upper to the lower phase is the same as it was in the transition 2 from the lower to the upper phase in the backswing as described previously.

FIG. 1 d illustrates the lower part of the downswing in which the club sweeps from the transition 10 through ball impact 11 and on to a follow through transition 12 where the club points at the target in essentially a mirrored configuration of the backswing transition 2. As in the upper phase of the downswing it is essential that the biodynamic and centrifugal force effects are controlled particularly in respect to maintenance of the grip setting, the relationship between the “wrist cocking plane” and the leading arm and the relationship between the hands and the club to the lower body as the body turns in unison with longitudinal rotation of the leading arm effectively around the vertical virtual axis 7 whilst straightening the trailing elbow.

The arms then carry the club upwards into the follow through from the transition 12 around the horizontal virtual axis 8 while the body continues to turn around the vertical virtual axis 7 to finish facing the target.

The effect of the arms swinging around the horizontal virtual axis 8 combined with the body's rotation around the vertical virtual axis 7 whilst maintaining the relationship between the “wrist cocking plane” 6 and the leading arm is to produce the line of action of the club head 32 within a slanted plane.

The crux of this invention is constituted in the functional form of the various positioning, indicating and guidance means and their interrelated functional and structural relationships to an associated golf club and the “wrist cocking plane”.

FIG. 2 of the drawings illustrates the assembly of the means for learning, practicing and performing all of the essential components of the said method in a typical embodiment of the invention.

The means for positioning and setting of the hands in gripping a golf club 13 with the assembly attached thereto are by thumb base positioning portions 20 and 21 which are located such that with a “vardon” style gripping formation while holding the club at the ball address position; a user's thumb bases will press firmly against the positioning portions 20 and 21 when the thumb of the first placed hand is set longitudinally on the club handle and offset to more or less 30 angular degrees from the “wrist cocking plane” 6 towards the trailing side around the club handle and the forearms are presented so as to set the top end of each wrist hinging axis inwards to more or less 30 angular degrees from the vertical,

The means for establishing the cocked wrist configuration in respect to the forearms is by forearm contact portions 22 and 23 spaced above and parallel to the club shaft such that, with the previously described grip setting and with the leading arm straight, when the club head is raised vertically within the “wrist cocking plane” 6, at the ball address position, by equally increasing the angular inward setting of the wrist hinge axes and hinging the hands backwards while slightly bending the trailing elbow the forearm contact portions 22 and 23 will slide into contact with the insides of the forearms as the wrists cock to 90 degrees. It is preferred that the forearm contact portions 22 and 23 are arcuate in parallel plane to the “wrist cocking plane” 6 and with their axes coincident with a user's wrists respectively,

The means for aligning the grip formation and consequently the club shaft 13 in the address and transition positions is by reference to a visibly prominent linear portion 14 extending equally on each side of the club shaft end and square to the “wrist cocking plane” 6 such that correct alignment is indicated at the ball address position when the linear portion 14 is horizontal and parallel to the line from a golfing target through the ball position and horizontal and at right angles thereto at the transitions whereat the lengths of the linear portion 14, each side of the club shaft, are such that a relevant end section of the linear portion 14 may abut the side of a user's lower body.

The means for guiding the operational relationship of the arms, wrists, hands, and club shaft relative to the lower body in the lower phase and transitions is provided by an arcuate lower body guide portion 17 spaced convexly and symmetrically away from the top end of the club handle on the extended axis 18 of the club shaft and within the plane containing the visibly prominent linear portion 14 and the axis 18 of the club shaft whereby the lower body guide portion 17 may be maintained in contact with a user's lower body while maneuvering the club 13 through the lower swing phase and when at a phase transition whereat a relevant end section of the linear portion 14 may also be in abutment contact with a relevant side of the lower body.

The means for establishing the top of the backswing configuration is provided by a concave shoulder contact portion 27 spaced from and concaved towards the club shaft 13 and set symmetrically crosswise to the “wrist cocking plane” 6 at a projected distance from the top end of the club handle such that with the club raised to outside and above a user's trailing shoulder with the user's hands at more or less eye level and with the leading arm close to the upper body with the wrists cocked to 90 degrees, the “wrist cocking plane” 6 will be at more or less 45 angular degrees to the through line of the user's shoulders when the concave shoulder portion 27 is resting in conformity over the rounded form of the extremity of the user's trailing shoulder.

The means of support to the portions of the assembly may be in any suitable non-interfering form capable of rigidly maintaining the structural relationships as would be readily conceivable by any person with appropriate engineering design skills and including adjustment means as deemed necessary to suit individual user physiques as well as any method of releasable attachment to any golf club or for fixed attachment to a dedicated golf club.

In order that this invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect in regard to the golf swing method which is based on the concept as elucidated in FIGS. 1 a, 1 b, 1 c and 1 d of the accompanying drawings, reference will now be made to the remaining drawings.

Referring again to FIG. 2 which illustrates a typical embodiment of the invention; it will be seen that the form of the constituent functional portions of the assembly (highlighted by crosshatching) relate structurally to each other and to an attached golf club 13 and the “wrist cocking plane” 6. One form of suitable support means is shown being a triangular frame wherein the visibly prominent linear portion 14 is adapted as the base member and incorporates a clamp 15 or other suitable means for attachment to the top end of the club handle. An ancillary member 16 provides longitudinally adjustable support to the lower body guide 17 in reference to the top end of the club handle and within the plane 34 containing the linear portion 14 and the club shaft axis 18. A second ancillary member 19 rises from the vicinity of the top end of the club handle within the “wrist cocking plane” 6, and at right angles to the linear portion 14 and the club shaft axis 18 in support of the thumb base positioning portions 20 and 21 and in adjustable support of the forearm contact portions 22 and 23 in reference to their spacing above the club shaft 18. The two side members of the frame 24 and 25 extend from the base member/linear portion 14 to meet in the apex of the triangular form at the bottom end of the club handle whereat a third ancillary member 26 rises within the “wrist cocking plane” 6, at right angles to the club shaft 13, in adjustable support of the concave shoulder contact portion 27 in reference to its spacing from the club shaft 13. The third ancillary member 26 incorporates a second clamp, clip or otherwise means for attachment to the club shaft 13 at that point.

FIG. 3 illustrates a user's view of the grip setting by the first placed hand in respect to the thumb base positioning portions 20 and 21 with the linear portion 14 horizontal and the thumb located longitudinally at more or less 30 angular degrees 28 around the club handle from its longitudinal top centre towards the trailing side and with the wrist hinging axis 29 set at more or less 30 angular degrees from the vertical.

FIG. 4 illustrates the complete “vardon” style gripping set up with the thumb bases against the thumb base positioning portions 20 and 21 and the wrist hinging axes 29 and 30 set inwards to each other at more or less 30 angular degrees from the vertical.

FIGS. 5 a, 5 b, 5 c and 5 d are sequential illustrations of the lower swing phase in overhead view of the relationship of the apparatus to the lower body 33 and to a target line 5.

FIG. 5 a illustrates the ball address position with the lower body guide 17 against the front of the lower body 33 and the linear portion 14 horizontal and visibly parallel to the line 5 extending from a golfing target through the ball position.

In FIG. 5 b; the lower body guide 17 has rolled across the front of the turning lower body 33 with longitudinal rotation of the leading arm and some folding of the trailing elbow to bring the club into the backswing/downswing transition wherein the linear portion 14 is horizontal and visibly right angled to the target line 5 with a relevant end section of the linear portion 14 abutting the trailing side of the lower body and with the club shaft disposed substantially on the line 4 which extends through the top end of the club handle at the ball address position FIG. 5 a and which is parallel to the ground and to the target line 5.

FIG. 5 c illustrates the ball impact position which is substantially the same as the ball address position except that due to dynamic effects the lower body 33 is turning towards the target.

FIG. 5(d) illustrates the follow through transition which substantially mirrors the backswing/downswing transition while the lower body 33 has continued to turn towards the target.

FIG. 6 illustrates the apparatus in full forward swing ball striking performance wherein, at the top of the backswing 9, the wrists are fully cocked with the forearm contact portions 22 and 23 against the forearms and the concave shoulder contact portion 27 resting in conformity on the rounded form of the user's trailing shoulder extremity. At the downswing phase transition 10 the visibly prominent linear portion 14 is horizontal and right angled to the line from a golfing target through the ball with the relevant end section abutting the outside of the user's trailing hip and the lower body guide 17 against the front of that hip. The lower body guide 17 then rolls across the front of the lower body as the wrists uncock through ball impact and then recock into the follow through transition 12.

FIG. 7 illustrates a rearward view of the configuration at the top of the backswing position with the user standing upright, wherein the concave shoulder contact portion 27 is resting in conformity on the rounded form of the trailing shoulder extremity with the club shaft set in the “wrist cocking plane” 6 which is at more or less 45 angular degrees to the through line of the shoulders and the hands are more or less at the user's eye level 31 whilst maintaining a relaxedly straight leading arm and with the support 26 adjusted to provide the appropriate spacing between the club and the user's trailing shoulder such that the club shaft would be substantially parallel to the ground and right angled to the line of the shoulders. 

1. A golf swing training apparatus for instruction and training in a method based on a concept to which a user's body is related when performing a golf swing and wherein there is a lower phase related predominantly to a vertical virtual axis around which the body rotates and which melds through phase transitions at substantially hip level with an upper phase related predominantly to a horizontal virtual axis which is tied to the virtual vertical axis and around which the arms swing and a “wrist cocking plane” which maintains a fixed relationship to the forearms and which is established from the ball address position whereat the said “wrist cocking plane” coincides with the vertical plane containing the club shaft and which is right angled to the imaginary line from a golfing target through the ball position, said relationship of a user's body to the vertical virtual axis being such that when adopting an appropriate stance for a golf stroke the said vertical virtual axis rises from substantially midway between the ankles to pass through substantially the front of the lower body and out of the upper body substantially midway between the shoulder blades in the vicinity of which the said horizontal virtual axis is tied to the said vertical virtual axis, said golf swing training apparatus comprising, a support frame in either fixed or releasable rigid attachment to a golf club in support of any one, some, or all of functional components providing positioning, indicating and guidance means structurally related to each other and to the said golf club so as to provide for instruction and training in the said golf swing method, said components being; thumb base placement indicators adapted to abut a user's thumb base pads when gripping the handle of the said golf club in a universally recognised “vardon” gripping formation, forearm disposition Indicators adapted to abut the insides of a user's forearms when the user's wrists are fully cocked with the said golf club within the said “wrist cocking plane”, a visibly prominent alignment indicator adapted for the monitoring of positional and active alignment of the said gripping formation and consequently the said golf club shaft, when performing a golf swing in accordance with the said method, by visual reference of the said alignment indicator to the ground and to an imaginary line extending from a golfing target through an imaginary ball position and by relevant contact reference to either side of a user's lower body when maneuvering the said golf club in the vicinity thereof, a lower swing phase guide adapted in respect to the top end of the said golf club handle for positional and active guidance of the said gripping formation and consequently the said golf club shaft, when performing a golf swing in accordance with the said method, by continuous body contact reference of the said lower swing phase guide to a user's lower body and a backswing position guide, spaced from the club shaft symmetrically crosswise to the said “wrist cocking plane” and concave shaped towards the said golf club shaft for conforming contact with the rounded extremity of a user's relevant shoulder when the said golf club shaft is disposed at the end of the backswing segment of a golf stroke with the said “wrist cocking plane” at more or less 45 angular degrees to the through line of a user's shoulders.
 2. A golf swing training apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thumb base placement indicators abut a user's thumb base pads when the thumb of the first placed hand in a “vardon” gripping formation is offset around the said handle to more or less 30 angular degrees from the said “wrist cocking plane” and the forearms are presented so as to set the top end of each wrist hinging axis inwards to more or less 30 angular degrees from the vertical.
 3. A golf swing training apparatus according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the said forearm disposition indicators are arcuate in parallel plane to the said “wrist cocking plane” and with their axes coincident with a user's wrists respectively
 4. A golf swing training apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the spacing of the said forearm disposition indicators above the said golf club shaft is adjustable.
 5. A golf swing training apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the said visibly prominent alignment indicator is linear and squarely located to the said “wrist cocking plane” at the top end of the said golf club handle and extending on opposite sides thereof to lengths such that an end section of either extension of the said visibly prominent alignment indicator may relevantly abut a side of a user's lower body.
 6. A golf swing training apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the said lower swing phase guide is arcuate in symmetrical convexity away from the top end of the said golf club handle along the extended longitudinal axis of the said golf club shaft and within the plane containing the said golf club shaft and the said visibly prominent alignment indicator.
 7. A golf swing training apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the convexity of the said lower swing phase guide is symmetrically semicircular.
 8. A golf swing training apparatus according to claims 6 or 7, wherein the spacing of the said lower swing phase guide from the top end of the said golf club handle is adjustable
 9. A golf swing training apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the said backswing position guide is in conforming contact with the rounded extremity of a user's relevant shoulder when the arm pertaining to the first placed gripping hand is across and close to the user's upper body in the vicinity of the through line of the user's shoulders
 10. A golf swing training apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the spacing between the said golf club shaft and the said backswing position guide is adjustable.
 11. A golf swing training apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the spacing between the said golf club shaft and the said backswing position guide is adjustable within the said “wrist cocking plane” and at right angles to the said golf club shaft.
 12. A golf swing training apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the said support frame is in any suitable non-interfering form capable of rigidly maintaining the said structural relationships as would be readily conceivable by any person with appropriate skills.
 13. A golf swing training apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the said support frame and the said functional components are constructed of any materials suitable for their purpose.
 14. A golf swing training apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 